In 1888, the first recorded arrests in the United States for female impersonation took place at the home of William Dorsey Swann, a black man. Less than a mile from the White House, Swann and twelve other men of color were arrested and charged with vagrancy after police raided a secret drag dance he was hosting. The following day the headline in the Evening Star read “Colored Men in Female Attire.”

The erasure of the contributions and sacrifices of people of color is rampant throughout our history, not only as a country, but as a community. Individuals of color have long been an integral part of the LGBTQ community and they are deserving of recognition and praise.

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Few entertainers are as synonymous with a character they have portrayed as legendary actor Joel Grey is with the Emcee from Cabaret. Grey does not so much act the part as embody the character and become the master of ceremonies at the fictional Kit Kat Club in 1930s Berlin.

Grey performed in the original Broadway run of Cabaret as well as the 1972 film version, winning a Tony Award and an Academy Award for the same role. He is one of only nine performers to do so.

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ORLANDO | onePULSE Foundation begins construction on the interim memorial at the Pulse nightclub location Feb. 26 as they work to design the permanent memorial that will go in the nightclub’s location.

As part of the temporary memorial, the now iconic Pulse sign will remain in place but will be enhanced. A new fence will be built around the perimeter of the nightclub with areas available for visitors to leave messages.

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ABOVE: Barry Miller (L) announces the first set of scholarship recipients at the Orlando City Hall Rotunda June 10, 2017 as City Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Mayor Buddy Dyer look on. Photo by Jake Stevens.

ORLANDO | The 49 Fund announced that they are now accepting applications for its second annual scholarship awards.

The fund will award up to 10 local LGBTQ students with a $4,900 scholarship to help pay for college tuition.

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Jason and Joey’s New Year’s Eve meeting has led to their happily ever after on March 3.

You’ve probably seen Jason Lambert and his fiancé, Joey, around town, since both of them are staples in Orlando’s restaurant and bar scene. Jason owns The Hammered Lamb (the moniker is derived from his last name) and they met while Jason was working on building the bar after leaving The Stardust Lounge.

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ORLANDO | Focus on the Family, a global Christian ministry with a notorious anti-LGBTQ conviction, announced that they are coming to Central Florida April 28 to host an adoption event at First Baptist Orlando.

The event is “an opportunity to educate families about the adoption process and connect them with local adoption agencies,” but members of the LGBTQ community are skeptical about inviting the hate group into the community.

ORLANDO | The Human Rights Campaign, in partnership with the National Education Association and the American Counseling Association, flocked to the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Feb. 16-18 for the fifth annual Time to THRIVE conference which promotes safety, inclusion and well-being for LGBTQ youth.

This year’s conference was attended by more than 800 youth-serving professionals including teachers, school counselors, administrators, social workers, mental health providers, pediatricians, religious leaders, recreational athletic coaches and youth development staff.

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Watermark is giving away two (2) tickets to visit the Orlando Science Center for the 21-years-and-older-only Science Night Live on March 3.

Enjoy the chance to interact with the center’s exhibits and programs in an adults-only atmosphere! Play in Dr. Dare’s lab, win prizes by answering science trivia, watch giant-screen films in the Dr. Phillips CineDome and enjoy the available light-bites and adult beverages provided by Hard Rock Café.

“In the wake of last week’s tragedy, now is the time to focus on the Parkland community and the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School,” said Barbara Poma, executive director and CEO of onePULSE, in a press release.

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For Valentine’s Day, Watermark hosted an LGBTQ+ singles mixer on February 8 at The Hammered Lamb, where any and all were encouraged to come out to try and find that special someone. Central Florida’s most eligible LGBTQ+ bachelors and bachelorettes, as featured in the current issue of Watermark, mingled with singles to try and find their love match. To make things easier for everyone, attendees were encouraged to wear colored bracelets to indicate interest in men, women, or any combination they wished.

More photos of the night’s fesitivities, and hot singles, after the jump.

Here we are, approaching that love-filled holiday known as Valentine’s Day: a day that brings butterflies to our stomach as we wonder what romantic surprises our significant other, or others, have prepared for us.

Will it be a fancy dinner, expensive gifts or a beautiful bouquet of long-stem roses? Will it be a night out on the town or a quiet evening at home together? Or, for you singles out there, will it be another terrible, not so good, horrible day that’s full of reminders that you still don’t have someone?

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Watermark is a multi-faceted media company using opportunities and innovations to communicate and advance LGBT interests, with a corporate emphasis on professionalism while building strong relationships with our readers, customers and community.

Watermark Media was founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando in 1994, and expanded to Tampa Bay in 1995. Dyer is an attorney, former board member of the Metropolitan Business Association and Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and current advisory board member of the Harvey Milk Foundation.

Watermark prints up to 20,000 copies every other Thursday, and distributes them in more than 500 locations throughout Orlando, Tampa Bay, Sarasota and throughout the state. The newspaper donates more than $200,000 annually in free and sponsor advertising to worthy local and national LGBT non-profits.

Watermarkonline.com was launched in 1999. The award-winning newspaper currently maintains offices in Tampa Bay and Orlando and employs a full-time staff of 12, along with several part-time and freelance contributors.

Watermark Publishing Group, founded by publisher Rick Claggett, purchased Watermark in January of 2016. Rick Claggett is a long-time employee of Watermark Media and former board member of both the Metropolitan Business Association and Come Out With Pride.Read More...